Join us on this Census Day of Action!

on in Civic Engagement

2020 Census

This is no April Fool’s Day joke: exactly one year from today, on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau will begin its constitutionally mandated decennial—recurring every 10 years—task of counting every person living in the United States.

The importance of a fair and accurate count to our democracy cannot be overstated. Among other things, Census data are used to:

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  • Determine the number of congressional seats each state gets, and district lines that define state legislatures, city councils, and school boards.

 

  • Decide how to distribute $800 billion to states and localities for education, housing, health programs, transportation, highways, and other important services.

 

  • Help businesses make important marketing and investment decisions.

 

  • Assist civil rights and advocacy groups to support social and economic disparities.

 

  • Support researchers and demographers to analyze and explain the impact of our country’s changing demographics.
From Andrew Reamer, “Counting For Dollars: The Role of the Decennial Census in the Geographic Distribution of Federal Funds,” initial analysis, George Washington University, June 2017.

Unfortunately, Latino communities have been undercounted and underrepresented in the Census for decades, with challenges such as language and poverty barriers making us a “hard-to-count” population. For example, roughly one in three Latinos currently live in hard-to-count Census tracts and in 2010, the undercount for Latino children was twice that of White children—and this has led to reduced money and resources for our communities, schools, and neighborhoods.

This time around, several potential changes run the risk of making this undercount even larger, putting the well-being of our communities further in jeopardy. A lack of adequate funding, and a shift toward making the internet the primary response option could potentially thwart a full count of Latinos.

But more significantly, the last-minute decision to add an unnecessary, untested, and intrusive citizenship question—a decision currently being considered by the Supreme Court—would clearly discourage Census participation in immigrant communities.

The broader climate of fear created by the Trump administration’s political rhetoric and activities could also lead to suppressed participation in many communities, as people may be reluctant to provide personal information voluntarily to the government for fear of retribution to themselves or their loved ones.

To fight against this affront to our democracy and communities, UnidosUS has joined with partners around the country on this Census Day of Action to encourage Latinos nationwide to advocate for a fair and accurate Census, and most importantly, to pledge to be counted in the 2020 Census. Please do your part and share our message through the following actions:

  • Support the NALEO Education Fund’s ¡Hágase Contar! campaign designed to educate the Latino community about key changes to the Census. On this site, you will find information, materials, events, public service announcements, and ongoing coverage on Census efforts through 2020.

 

  • Inform your community about the importance of participating in the Census by widely sharing Telemundo’s Hazte Contar educational website.

 

  • Sign the Census Counts pledge for a fair and accurate Census here!

Together we can fight for our democracy and future by ensuring that all Latinos get counted in 2020!

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¡Hágase contar! The 2020 Census is coming.

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